Bola Malaysia 08 : Sathianathan stays despite AFF exit

16 December 2008
http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_168395144.html


KUALA LUMPUR – The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) handed head coach B. Sathianathan the vote of confidence despite the Tigers’ disappointing showing at the AFF Suzuki Cup.

Malaysia crashed out of South East Asia’s showcase tournament at the group stage following defeats to Vietnam (3-2) and co-hosts Thailand (3-0) but following a meeting chaired by FAM President Sultan Ahmad Shah, Sathianathan was offered an extension to his current contract.

"The committee (for the national team) felt that it was not fair for Sathianathan to be evaluated based on the team's performance in the Suzuki AFF Cup given that it has not been a year since he was national coach," FAM Vice President, Khairy Jamaluddin told Bernama News Agency.

Jamaluddin added that the situation will be reviewed after the 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers in January, when Malaysia opens their Group C campaign against the UAE while a committee would also be established to decide whether or not another coach will take the helm of the U-23s for next December’s SEA Games in Laos.

Bola Malaysia 2008 : AFF Suzuki Cup 2008

AFF Suzuki Cup 2008



5/12/08
17:00 A Singapore 5 - 0 Cambodia
19:30 A Indonesia 3 - 0 Myanmar

6/12/08
17:00 B Malaysia 3 - 0 Laos
19:30 B Thailand 2 - 0 Vietnam

7/12/08
17:00 A Singapore 3 - 1 Myanmar
19:30 A Cambodia 0 - 4 Indonesia

8/12/08
17:00 B Malaysia 2 - 3 Vietnam
19:30 B Laos 0 - 6 Thailand

9/12/08
19:30 A Myanmar 3 - 2 Cambodia
19:30 A Indonesia 0 - 2 Singapore

10/12/08
17:00 B Thailand 3 - 0 Malaysia
19:30 B Vietnam 4 - 0 Laos

Group A P W D L F A Pt Singapore 3 3 0 0 10 1 9 Indonesia 3 2 0 1 7 2 6 Myanmar 3 1 0 2 4 8 3 Cambodia 3 0 0 3 2 12 0

Group B P W D L F A Pt Thailand 3 3 0 0 11 0 9 Vietnam 3 2 0 1 7 4 6 Malaysia 3 1 0 2 5 6 3 Laos 3 0 0 3 0 13 0

16/12/08 19:00 SF1 Leg 1
Indonesia 0 - 1 Thailand

17/12/08 19:00 SF2 Leg 1
Vietnam 0 - 0 Singapore

20/12/08 19:00 SF1 Leg 2
Thailand 2 - 1 Indonesia
Thailand go through on 3-1 aggregate

21/12/08 20:00 SF2 Leg 2
Singapore 0 - 1 Vietnam
Vietnam go through on 1-0 aggregate

24/12/08 19:00 Final Leg 1
Thailand 1 - 2 Vietnam

28/12/08 19:00 Final Leg 2
Vietnam v Thailand

Bola Malaysia 08 : Grand Royal Challenge Cup 2008 - Myanmar

Grand Royal Challenge Cup 2008 - Myanmar

11/11/08 - 21/11/08

GROUP A
Myanmar 0 - 0 Bangladesh
Bangladesh 0 - 2 Indonesia
Myanmar 2 - 1 Indonesia

P Point
1. Myanmar 2 4
2. Indonesia 2 3
3. Bangladesh 2 1


GROUP B
Vietnam U-23 0 - 3 Malaysia
Malaysia 1 - 1 Ulsan Hyundai
Ulsan Hyundai 4 - 1 Vietnam U-23


P Point
1. Ulsan Hyundai 2 4
2. Malaysia 2 4
3. Vietnam U-23 2 0




SEMI FINALS

Myanmar 4 - 1 Malaysia

Ulsan Hyundai 0 - 0* Indonesia
* 0 - 0 after regular time, 3 - 4 after penalty kicks


FINAL
Myanmar 2 - 1 Indonesia

MYANMAR GRAND ROYAL CHALLENGE CUP 2008 Winner

Komen Deputy President FAM : Pasukan Kebangsaan Bolasepak Malaysia

November 14, 2008 Pasukan Kebangsaan Bolasepak Malaysia http://www.rembau.net.my/ Sebagai peminat bolasepak tanah air, saya cukup bangga melihat kedudukan terbaru pasukan kebangsaan Malaysia dalam 'ranking' sedunia Coca-Cola FIFA naik sembilan anak tangga ke tempat 151. Sewaktu saya dipilih sebagai Timbalan Presiden Persatuan Bolasepak Malaysia (FAM), kedudukan dunia pasukan kebangsaan di tangga 172. Menyedari hakikat ini, saya selaku orang yang dipertanggungjawab oleh KDYMM Tuanku Presiden FAM untuk menjaga pasukan kebangsaan menjadikan isu 'ranking' ini sebagai salah satu penunjuk aras pencapaian atau KPI utama dalam menilai status perkembangan bolasepak tanah air. Tidak keterlaluan jika saya katakan bahawa 'ranking' terkini pasukan kebangsaan menandakan sedikit sebanyak kemajuan kita, walaupun perjalanan FAM kearah kecemerlangan masih jauh lagi. Saya percaya perkembangan positif ini bersangkut-paut dengan strategi yang digunapakai di mana wujud suatu pengkhususan kepada mutu sesi latihan pemain kebangsaan. Contohnya, klinik latihan bersama idola Liverpool FC, Ian Rush, dan sesi taktikal yang dikendalikan jurulatih pasukan negara B.Sathianathan telah menyumbang kepada kemampuan teknikal serta keyakinan diri para pemain – ini terserlah sewaktu perlawanan persahabatan menentang Chelsea FC pada 29 Julai lepas. Walaupun tewas, namun saya pasti pemerhati bolasepak tanahair akan mengakui kemajuan tahap persembahan pasukan kita berbanding dua atau tiga tahun dahulu. Yang paling terserlah, para pemain telah mengekalkan tahap disiplin tinggi sepanjang perlawanan – mengikut taktik dan strategi sepertimana yang diarahkan oleh jurulatih. Antara indikasi perkembangan positif yang lain dapat dilihat sewaktu Piala Antara Benua 2008 yang dilangsungkan pada bulan Mei di mana Malaysia sebagai tuan rumah meraih kemenangan 1-0 ke atas juara Piala Asia AFC 2007, Iraq dan keputusan seri 1-1 dengan Nigeria yang kemudiannya mara ke perlawanan akhir di Olimpik 2008 Beijing. Ternyata usaha gigih jurulatih B. Sathianathan dan Datuk Soh Chin Aun ("Tauke") selaku Pengurus Pasukan sudah mula membuahkan hasil. Datuk Soh yang akan sentiasa menjadi idola dan ikon bola sepak nasional jelas berjaya menyuntik semangat dan inspirasi kepada pemain kita. Meskipun begitu, pihak FAM sedar bahawa perjalanan masih jauh untuk mencapai impian kita melihat pasukan bola sepak nasional disegani semula di rantau Asia, mahupun dunia. 'Ranking' dunia pasukan kita, walaupun meningkat, masih lagi di bawah negara-negara seperti Fiji dan India yang tidak pun mempunyai 'budaya bola' sepertimana di Malaysia. Secara keseluruhannya, saya melihat kecergasan dan stamina pemain-pemain kebangsaan kian meningkat, tetapi keupayaan dari segi taktikal masih kurang memuaskan. Misalnya, pasukan kita masih lemah dalam skil menjaringkan gol dari 'set piece' seperti sepakan percuma atau penjuru. Saya yakin saudara B.Sathianathan memang memberi tumpuan kepada aspek ini, disamping mempertajam kebolehan para pemain penyerang menjaringkan gol. Pendekatan menghantar skuad pasukan Malaysia ke luar negara untuk menjalani sesi latihan dan siri perlawanan persahabatan juga wajar diteruskan kerana memberi peluang kepada para pemain menimba pengalaman unik. Contohnya, dalam lawatan ke Slovakia pada bulan Ramadhan lalu, skuad negara beraksi menentang pasukan-pasukan handal termasuklah FC Vion Zlaté Moravce - sebuah kelab yang mara ke pusingan kedua kelayakan Piala UEFA 2007-2008. Lawatan seperti ini juga merupakan peluang kepada ejen atau 'scout' bolasepak dari Eropah memerhati pemain kita; sewaktu di Slovakia pun ramai yang tertarik dengan pemain negara, terutamanya gandingan adik-beradik Zaquan Adha Radzak dan Mohd Aidil Zafuan Radzak. Malah, Zaquan dan Zafuan sudah dimaklumkan oleh ejen di Slovakia bahawa mereka akan diberi peluang beraksi dalam sebuah kelab Liga Divisyen Satu Slovakia tidak lama lagi. Peluang menimba pengalaman seperti ini melambangkan satu lagi langkah positif dalam usaha meningkatkan mutu para pemain negara. Bagi memastikan kesinambungan jangka panjang, saya menaruh harapan tinggi kepada eksperimen Harimau Muda di mana pasukan nasional bawah 20 tahun diserapkan ke dalam Liga Perdana Malaysia sebagai satu pasukan kelab. Di samping itu, para pemain senior juga tidak dilupakan. Ramai individu seperti Indra Putra Mahyuddin, Hardi Jaafar, Irwan Fadzli Idrus dan Khaironisam Shahbudin yang pada mulanya digugurkan selepas prestasi hambar sewaktu Piala Asia AFC tahun lepas sudah mula diserapkan kembali ke dalam pentas nasional. Dalam masa terdekat ini, persembahan pasukan negara di Piala Suzuki Persekutuan Bolasepak ASEAN (AFF) bermula 6 Disember menjadi ukuran seterusnya – moga-moga kita dapat menonjolkan prestasi yang baik. Perkara inilah yang mendorong saya meluluskan penglibatan pasukan negara dalam Piala Cabaran Grand Royal Myanmar yang sedang berlangsung sekarang dengan harapan para pemain negara dapat 'memanaskan badan' sekaligus mencapai tahap prestasi optimum sebaik sebelum Piala Suzuki AFF. Kemajuan sejak akhir-akhir ini tidak harus terlalu digembirakan; tetapi wajar menjadi inspirasi kepada kemajuan jangka masa panjang. Semoga pendekatan komprehensif yang dijalankan selama ini akan membuahkan hasil buat prestasi bola sepak negara, sekaligus membanggakan seluruh warga negara Malaysia.

Bola Malaysia 2008 : Ban on foreigners defangs Kedah

23 October 2008
http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_168297272.html

Malaysian clubs face an uphill task in the AFC Cup next year, thanks to the ban on recruiting foreigners

By Tan Boon Piaw

Kedah coach Mohd Azraai Khor could be forgiven for thinking his side stands little chance on the continental platform in 2009.

Kedah created Malaysian football history earlier this year by sweeping all three titles on offer in the land for the second time in a row but the performance was mainly turbocharged by a strong foreign legion.

But a blanket ban on all Malaysian Super League clubs against hiring foreigners can spell doom for continental glory aspirers like Kedah and Negeri Sembilan, both of whom are pencilled in for the AFC Cup next year.

Not surprisingly, the decision has caused much heart-burn and soul-searching.

“It is the other teams who had problems in either selecting good foreign players or paying their salaries,” Kedah FA President Azizan Abdul Razak lashed out at the FAM’s move.

“Kedah had no such issues with the imports. So why are we being made to suffer for the follies of others? Is it because the other teams could not find any other way to beat Kedah?” he wondered.

CONTRIBUTION

The statistics speak for themselves.

Marlon James, the St. Vincentian forward, scored 113 times in 134 games for Kedah, bundling in 23 goals this season in the Super League to walk away with Golden Boot.

Last season he was unstoppable with 40 goals in all competitions for the champions.

James received good support in the engine room from compatriot Bernard Huggins and Nelson San Martin of Chile.

“I don’t know what words to use to thank them for their contribution and effort in guiding Kedah into the Malaysian football history books. Our feat of winning six titles in two seasons is unbelievable,” said Azraai Khor.

“Without doubt, Kedah have the best three foreign players in Malaysia, and their services will be remembered in the history of Kedah football.”

“Everyone here is sad to see them leave, and I wish them all the best with their future teams,” added Azraai Khor.


AFTER-EFFECTS

Both Kedah and Perak - without their foreign stars - felt the bite in the recent AFC Cup quarter-finals when they were thrashed by Bahrain’s Al Muharraq and Lebanon’s Safa FC respectively.

This was after Martin and James bagged four goals each as Kedah won four out of six games in the group stage to finish second in their section.

“I know that if we had the three foreign players with us, things would have been different. And I would go so far as saying that we could have won the match against Muharraq in Bahrain," lamented Azraai Khor.

“I believe that we will struggle in next year's AFC Cup. It has been a bad decision (to ban the foreign players)."

CATCH-22

The FAM is, meanwhile, caught in a Catch-22 situation.

The radical decision to bar foreigners was ostensibly taken to give local talent enough playing time and lift the quality of the game which has plummeted in recent times.

“We are going to put the national team above all,” asserted Che Mat, FAM Vice-President. “Everything we plan will be in line with the objective of the national team.”

FAM Deputy President Khairy Jamaluddin has said the ban is for an “indefinite period”.

“It is a unanimous call. In fact, the teams which have qualified for the AFC Cup next year, also agreed that priority should be given to developing and strengthening the league.”

With the league kicking off soon and the AFC Cup campaign not scheduled until March next year, one only hopes there will be enough time for the FAM to test-drive the locals-only football and lift the ban urgently if needed.

(Edited by R. Ravi Kumar)

Bola Malaysia 2008 : Merdeka Cup Tournament 2008

paparan lebih lengkap @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Merdeka_Tournament
25/12/2008 , 02:47 GMT / 10:49 a.m ( malaysia ) @ www.FAM.org.my - Football Association of Malaysia official website - COMING SOON!


Merdeka Cup Tournament 2008
15-25th October 2008
Group A

P W D L F A Diff. Points
Malaysia 3 3 0 0 14 0 14 9
Sierra Leone U-20 3 2 0 1 9 6 3 6
Nepal 3 0 1 2 3 9 -6 1
Afghanistan 3 0 1 2 3 14 -11 1

Malaysia 4 : 0 Nepal
Afghanistan 2 : 2 Nepal
Malaysia 4 : 0 Sierra Leone U-20
Afghanistan 1 : 6 Sierra Leone U-20
Nepal 1 : 3 Sierra Leone U-20
Malaysia 6 : 0 Afghanistan

Group B

P W D L F A Diff. Points
Viet Nam U-22 3 2 1 0 9 3 6 7
Myanmar 3 2 0 1 5 5 0 6
Mozambique U-20 3 1 0 2 3 7 -4 3
Bangladesh 3 0 1 2 2 4 -2 1

Myanmar 1 : 3 Viet Nam U-22
Bangladesh 0 : 1 Mozambique U-20
Bangladesh 0 : 1 Myanmar
Mozambique U-20 0 : 4 Viet Nam U-22
Mozambique U-20 2 : 3 Myanmar
Bangladesh 2 : 2 Viet Nam U-22


Semi final

Viet Nam U-22 2 : 2 Sierra Leone U-20
Penalty Kicks 3 : 2


Malaysia 4 : 0 Myanmar

Final
Malaysia 0 : 0 Viet Nam U-22
Penalty Kicks 6 : 5

Winner : Viet Nam U-22

Bola Malaysia 08 : AFC U-16 Championship Uzbekistan 2008

full result : http://www.the-afc.com/eng/competitions/fixtures/index.jsp_U16-2007-468.html


Group D
Team GP W D L GF GA +/- Pts
JAPAN 3 2 0 1 11 3 8 6
YEMEN 3 1 2 0 4 3 1 5
U A E 3 1 1 1 5 9 -4 4
MALAYSIA 3 0 1 2 3 8 -5 1



5 Oct 2008 14:00
JAPAN - MALAYSIA 4:0

5 Oct 2008 18:00
YEMEN - UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 1:1

7 Oct 2008 14:00
MALAYSIA - YEMEN 1:1

7 Oct 2008 18:00
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JAPAN 1:6

9 Oct 2008 19:00
JAPAN - YEMEN 1:2

9 Oct 2008 19:00
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - MALAYSIA 3:2


- maaf www.fam.org.my tiada maklumat ini - mungkin tiada kepentingan buat pengurusan FAM :)

Bola Malaysia 08 : Khor: FAM’s foreign KO cost Kedah

22 September 2008
http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_168100864.html

ALOR SETAR – Kedah coach Khor Sek Leng believes the Football Association of Malaysia’s decision to ban foreign players from the Malaysian league has cost his team any chance of contending for the AFC Cup.

The Malaysian treble winners got a huge contribution from their foreign contingent in the group stage this season with Chilean midfielder Nelson San Martin and Saint Vincent and Grenadines striker Marlon James bagging four goals each and James’ compatriot, defender Cornelius Huggins skippering the team that won four out of six games.

But with the trio departing after Kedah’s Malaysia Cup victory last month, Khor saw his side suffer a humiliating 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Bahrain league champions Muharraq in the first leg of their quarter-final tie in Manama last week.

Speaking ahead of the return match at the Darulaman Stadium on Tuesday, the Kedah coach lamented the lack of foreign talent in his squad.

"I know that if we had the three foreign players with us, things would have been different. And I would go so far as saying that we could have won the match against Muharraq in Bahrain," said the former Malaysia international defender.

"As things stand at the moment, even the local Bahraini players are physically better and what’s more, they have foreign players.

“I believe that we will struggle not only for this game against Muharraq but also in next year's AFC Cup. It has been a bad decision (to ban the foreign players).

"The only solace which I can take for this game is the fact that in the last match, we held them scoreless until the second half and I think that we can do something with that.

“These are the best players that we have at the moment, so there's little which we can do with regards to making changes to the line-up."

Muharraq arrived in Malaysia on Saturday night and are leaving nothing to chance despite their big advantage in the tie.

Coach Salman Sharida will be utilising the same tactics that he employed in the first leg and hopes to have everything wrapped up well before the end.

"We need to be better in this match than how we did in the first leg when we scored only in the second half," he said.

"There might be some changes to the line-up as I think that we cannot afford to take any chances with this one game even though we have a comfortable lead."

Bola Malaysia 08 : Kedah repeat treble, make history

24 August 2008
http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_167968910.html

KUALA LUMPUR: Kedah created Malaysian football history whey they successfully defended the three titles they had won last season after beating Selangor 3-2 in the Malaysia Cup final at the Bukit Jalil Stadium on Saturday.

The breath-taking Malaysia Cup win follows triumphs in the Super League and FA Cup this season, making for six trophies in two years for the AFC Cup quarter-finalists.

Selangor opened the scoring in the sell-out match on 18 minutes through Frank Seator after the Liberian import made no mistake following a schoolboy mistake by Kedah goalkeeper Mohd Hilmi Eliza Elias.

However, Kedah proved they were equal to the task when they scored two goals in as many minutes around the half hour mark.

Marlon Alex James equalised the scores in the 31st minute before team mate Nelson San Martin made it 2-1 for the Canaries in the very next minute.

This was followed by another goal by Mohd Fadly Baharom five minutes later and Mohd Azraai Khor’s men were in the driver’s seat.

The fight, however, had not been snuffed out of Selangor and Mohd Safee Mohd Salee reduced the deficit in the 77th minute, forcing Kedah to close ranks towards the end to ensure their treble.

Bola Malaysia 08 : Foreigners get boot from M-League

4 August 2008
http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_167870876.html

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will not allow any foreigners to play their trade in the domestic league from next season in a drastic attempt to improve the quality of young homegrown players, a news report said Sunday.

"The council felt that with the presence of foreign players, local players have not been given the opportunity," said Khairy Jamaluddin, deputy president of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).

"We are back to the drawing board, our focus now will be development," he said, according to the New Straits Times daily.

FAM, which wrapped up its council meeting over the weekend, reached a unanimous decision to keep out foreign talent indefinitely from the Malaysian Super League, the report said.

"We are not at the status of the English Premier League. Our league is not matured yet, therefore some drastic measures must be taken to improve it," Khairy reportedly said.

Bola Malaysia 08 : Chelsea wrap up Asian tour with win

30 July 2008
http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_167870482.html

KUALA LUMPUR: Nicolas Anelka and Ashley Cole scored as English Premiership side Chelsea rounded off their Asian tour with 2-0 win over a Malaysian XI on Tuesday.

Chelsea, who are AFC’s partner in development for the Vision China project, start slow on a humid night at Shah Alam Stadium in front of 40,000 fans.

Nicholas Anelka gave the UEFA Champions League runners-up the lead in the 27th minute on a Joe Cole pass. Substitute Ashley Cole slotted the ball past goalkeeper Elmi Eliza Elias from close range to make it 2-0 in the 53rd minute.

After romping past Chengdu Blades 7-0 on Saturday and thrashing Guangzhou Pharmaceutical last week, Chelsea have now bagged 13 goals without conceding as they head to Moscow for the Railways Cup.

"I crossed my fingers today and hoped no one would get injured because the pitch was impossible to play on. It was very difficult," said Scolari.

"It was a good tour though for me to see how players are on the field and to decide which players I need. 7-0, 4-0, 2-0 -- it was all training for us."

Chelsea open their Premier League season on August 17 against Portsmouth.

Bola Malaysia 08 : Easy draw for Thais in AFF futsal

28 July 2008
http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_167838000.html

KUALA LUMPUR: The fifth edition of the AFF Futsal Championship will take place in Bangkok from August 27-31, 2008, with four-time consecutive champions Thailand defending their title in their own backyard.

And, to aid the Thais in their designs, the draw proved to be kind as they were slotted recently with the Philippines, Indonesia and Myanmar in Group A.

Thailand, who finished as runners-up to Iran in this year’s AFC Futsal Championship, kick off their campaign against the Philippines.

Group B will see a battle between Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam and Brunei.

The top-two teams in each group move to the semi-finals which will be played on August 30 while the final is slated for the next day at the Nimibutr Stadium.

Scheduled a month before the FIFA Futsal World Cup in Brazil, the AFF tournament provides the right platform for Thailand to prepare for the global showpiece for which they have been slotted with Italy, Portugal, Paraguay and the United States in Group B.

Bola Malaysia 08 : Malaysia hold India

23 July 2008
http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_167804998.html

HYDERABAD: AFC Challenge Cup 2008 hosts India were held 1-1 by Malaysia in a warm-up game at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium on Tuesday.

Bob Houghton’s charges, who were drawn with the same opponent in the final round of 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, failed to penetrate the rival defence in the first half.

India captain Bhaichung Bhutia broke the deadlock on a deflection from Sunil Chhetri in the 57th minute but Indra Putra Sahdan restored the parity from the spot ten minutes from time.

Houghton said the match was technically good for his side as Surkumar Singh and K Ajayan played for the first time after recovering from injuries.

“Malaysia was a good opposition and played a competitive game technically,” he said.

Regarding AFC Challenge Cup, which will be played in Hyderabad from July 30 to August 10, he said: “The key for us would be to get good results at the initial stages of the competition. I have watched videos of some of our opponents and I think there are good teams in the competition.”

India have been slotted in Group A along side defending champions Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan and will begin their campaign against Afghanistan on July 30.

Bola Malaysia 08 : Bahrain set up Australia final

19 July 2008
http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_167772164.html

JAKARTA: Bahrain will play Australia in the final of the AFF Under-16 Youth Championship today after managing a 1-1 draw against Malaysia on Thursday at the Lebak Bulus Stadium.

In the final crucial group game, Malaysia scored first in the 15th minute off a free kick from Ahmad Fauzan Yahya before Bahrain replied through Salman Al Dakheel in the 90th minute.

The Malaysians scored their first goal of the game when a free kick from Ahmad Fauzan Yahya sailed over the Bahraini defensive wall and into goal.

Five minutes later Bahraini Hasan Ahmed Ishaq got his marching orders but the Gulf side hunkered down and managed to squeeze in the equaliser in the last minute of the game when Al Dakheel outjumped the others to head the ball in.

The hard-earned point saw Bahrain emerging as the group runners-up based on goal difference ahead of Malaysia.

Bola Malaysia 08 : China U-23s blank Malaysia

15 July 2008
http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_167674042.html

YANBIAN: China U-23 team continued their preparations for the next month’s Beijing Olympics with a 4-0 thrashing of their Malaysian counterparts recently.

China captain Zheng Zhi, who struts his stuff for English side Charlton Athletic, opened the scoring for Ratomir Dujkovic’s team from the spot in the 38th minute.

Gao Lin doubled the advantage at the stroke of half time while Yuan Weiwei made it 3-0 three minutes past an hour. Manchester United striker Dong Fangzhuo sealed the victory for the hosts in the 71st minute.

“The game was tough as both the teams were in good physical condition. We had problem in marking when the game started but our defence got better in the later stages," Dujkovic said after the game.

"The result is inspiring and the players did their best in this match. I feel the four goals will increase confidence of my players."

China were drawn in Group C in Olympics along side New Zealand, Brazil and Belgium and will open their campaign against New Zealand on August 7.

Bola Malaysia 08 : Tigers no underdogs insists coach

4 July 2008
http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_167477313.html

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia coach B. Sathianathan insists his side have every chance of qualifying to the next AFC Asian Cup even though the 2007 tournament co-hosts are considered one of the Group C outsiders.

“Although Uzbekistan enjoys a slight edge as the favourites and seeded team, the prospect of upsetting the formbook is always there,” Sathianathan told the Football Association of Malaysia’s official website.

Malaysia co-hosted the last AFC Asian Cup and from a footballing perspective it was a tournament to forget for the Tigers.

In addition to defeats by China and Iran, the Malaysians were hammered 5-0 by Uzbekistan, whose performances in Kuala Lumpur helped Rauf Inileev win the 2007 AFC Coach of the Year award.

The UAE, who together with India complete the Group C line-up, have also defeated the Malaysians on home soil, although Sathianathan will not be reading too much into last June’s 3-1 loss in Kelana Jaya.

Of more interest to the Malaysian coach will be the form of the under 23’s, who quickly restored some sporting pride in the ASEAN nation following their Asian Cup debacle when they lost just once in five matches on route to winning the Merdeka Cup last August.

The U-23s also acquitted themselves reasonably well at the 2007 SEA Games defeating Laos and drawing with Singapore, only failing to advance from the group stage due to an opening round defeat to an impressive Vietnam side.

Sathianathan may opt to blend a number of the youngsters with some experienced heads as they look get their AFC Asian Cup 2011 qualifying campaign off to a good start.

Malaysia open at home to the UAE on January 14 before an away match with Group C’s lowest ranked side India a fortnight later.

Bola Malaysia 08 : Malaysia hold Indonesia 1-1

9 June 2008
http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_167117083.html

SURABAYA: Mohd Shukor Adan helped Malaysia eke out a 1-1 draw against archrivals Indonesia in a friendly on Friday.

Benny Dollo’s men took the lead in front of a sell-out crowd on 25 minutes when team pin-up Bambang Pamungkas converted a penalty. But their joy was shortlived as Adan struck in the 34th minute with a header to level the scores.

“We are satisfied with the result,” said Malaysian coach B Sathianathan. “Even though we did not win, it was an evenly balanced tie.”

“At the very least, I can see there is a level of improvement in the team and the cooperation between players is better.”

Dollo said: “The two wingers - Budi Sudarsono and Ellie Aiboy - were not functioning. It affected the flow of the game and we seem to lose possession all too easily.”

Indonesia next play Vietnam in another friendly on June 11, 2008.

Bola Malaysia 08 : It is a ‘D’ for Malaysia

20 May 2008
http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_166592754.html

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia have been given a ‘D’, the lowest grade used by the AFC Pro-League Ad-Hoc Committee in rating the eligibility of countries for the 2009 AFC Champions League, after a comprehensive assessment of the AEAN country’s league and clubs.

A ‘D’ means the committee is of the opinion that Malaysia, whose teams currently play in the AFC Cup, do not meet the criteria for the revised AFC Champions League.

Malaysia have received ‘Ds’ in the below areas:

1) Association should have a minimum number of eight International Assistant Referees by 2009

2) The league governing body should be a legal entity governed by its football association

3) The league governing body should have a management structure which controls competition, marketing, media and finance

4) Club representatives,
ii) representatives of football association and
iii) representatives from the league’s top management should be members of the highest decision making body (executive committee) of the league

5) The position of CEO should be full-time

6) The league should have an audited Profit and Loss Statement and Balance Sheet

7) The league should have an auditor

8) The league should have a centralised marketing system of the elements such as media rights, certain
sponsorships and merchandise

9) Each club should have a media officer

10) Match reports should be distributed to media

11) All the clubs should be commercial entities under its national law

12) Submission of an audited Profit and Loss statement and Balance Sheet to the League governing body

13) Clubs should not have overdue payments

14) All clubs have youth development programmes with youth teams in the clubs or affiliated to the clubs

15) All clubs’ head coaches should possess AFC Professional License Diploma or an equivalent licence approved by AFC

16) All clubs conduct activities contributing to the local community of the hometowns

Bola Malaysia 08 : I'CONTINENTAL CUP & AFC Futsal 2008

INTERCONTINENTAL CUP - MALAYSIA 2008 (Results)
http://www.fam.org.my/Modules/Page/Page.aspx?Id=177

Group A G W D L P
Nigeria 3 2 1 0 7
Ireland 3 1 1 1 4
Malaysia 3 1 1 1 4
Iraq 3 0 1 2 1

Group B G W D L P
Australia 3 3 0 0 9
Chile 3 2 0 1 6
Croatia 3 1 0 2 3
Togo 3 0 0 3 0


15th May 2008
Malaysia vs. Ireland 1-3

16th May 2008
Togo vs. Chile 1-5
Australia vs. Croatia 3-0

17th May 2008
Nigeria vs. Ireland 3-1
Malaysia vs. Iraq 1-0

18th May 2008
Togo vs. Croatia 0-1
Australia vs. Chile 2-1

19th May 2008
Malaysia vs. Nigeria 1-1
Ireland vs. Iraq 0-0

20th May 2008
Australia vs. Togo 4-0
Croatia vs. Chile 0-1

21st May 2008
Nigeria vs. Iraq 1-0

Semi Finals 23rd May 2008
Nigeria vs. Chile 2-1
Australia vs. Ireland 3-1


Final 25th May 2008
Nigeria vs. Australia 2-0






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AFC Futsal Championship 2008 Thailand, Bangkok (Results)

http://www.maxell.co.jp/afc/en/en_futsal2008.html

Group Stage

Group A Rank Team Pts P W D L GF GA GD 1 Thailand 9 3 3 0 0 15 1 +14 2 Kyrgyzstan 6 3 2 0 1 14 4 +10 3 Indonesia 3 3 1 0 2 6 20 -14 4 Iraq 0 3 0 0 3 4 14 -10

Date	Match
11 May 2008	Kyrgyzstan 5-1 Indonesia
11 May 2008	Thailand 1-0 Iraq
12 May 2008	Indonesia 0-11 Thailand
12 May 2008	Iraq 0-8 Kyrgyzstan
13 May 2008	Kyrgyzstan 1-3 Thailand
13 May 2008	Iraq 4-5 Indonesia

Group B Rank Team Pts P W D L GF GA GD 1 Japan 9 3 3 0 0 16 5 +11 2 Australia 6 3 2 0 1 11 5 +6 3 Turkmenistan 3 3 1 0 2 8 9 -1 4 Chinese Taipei 0 3 0 0 3 4 20 -16 Date Match 11 May 2008 Japan 8-2 Chinese Taipei 11 May 2008 Australia 3-1 Turkmenistan 12 May 2008 Chinese Taipei 0-6 Australia 12 May 2008 Turkmenistan 1-4 Japan 13 May 2008 Japan 4-2 Australia 13 May 2008 Turkmenistan 6-2 Chinese Taipei Group C Rank Team Pts P W D L GF GA GD 1 Uzbekistan 9 3 3 0 0 19 4 +15 2 Lebanon 4 3 1 1 1 12 14 -2 3 Malaysia 3 3 1 0 2 8 19 -11 4 Korea Rep. 1 3 0 1 2 11 13 -2 Date Match 11 May 2008 Uzbekistan 10-0 Malaysia 11 May 2008 Lebanon 5-5 Korea Rep. 12 May 2008 Malaysia 4-6 Lebanon 12 May 2008 Korea Rep. 3-4 Uzbekistan 13 May 2008 Uzbekistan 5-1 Lebanon 13 May 2008 Korea Rep. 3-4 Malaysia Group D Rank Team Pts P W D L GF GA GD 1 IR Iran 9 3 3 0 0 34 1 +33 2 China 6 3 2 0 1 19 8 +11 3 Tajikistan 3 3 1 0 2 6 27 -21 4 Kuwait 0 3 0 0 3 4 27 -23 Date Match 11 May 2008 IR Iran 12-0 Kuwait 11 May 2008 Tajikistan 0-9 China 12 May 2008 Kuwait 4-6 Tajikistan 12 May 2008 China 1-8 IR Iran 13 May 2008 IR Iran 14-0 Tajikistan 13 May 2008 China 9-0 Kuwait Quater-finals Date Match 15 May 2008 QF1 Thailand 5-2 Australia QF2 Japan 4-0 Kyrgyzstan QF3 Uzbekistan 1-4 China QF4 IR Iran 9-1 Lebanon Semi-finals Date Match 16 May 2008 SF1 Thailand 7-3 China SF2 Japan 0-1 IR Iran Third-place Match Date Match 18 May 2008 3/4th China 3-5 Japan Final Date Match 18 May 2008 Final Thailand 0-4 IR Iran